


Concussion

by PlayfulMay



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, concussion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 10:12:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6419710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlayfulMay/pseuds/PlayfulMay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phryne's been hurt, and Jack Robinson finds her. Fluffy angst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Concussion

There it was, his worst nightmare lying before him.

Countless nights, Jack had been uneasy about Phryne Fisher's many exploits because she might somehow be hurt. So many days he had tried restraining her enthusiasm for policing the town, because Jack knew very well injuries were a realistic threat, but he hadn't succeeded. No matter what he'd tried to do, he had somehow found himself there. Staring at the limp form of Miss Fisher on a docking platform, Jack stood in shock, hoping and wondering if it might not be her after all. Dorothy could have heard the directions wrong. This could be some other identical woman.

But Jack knew that hair, even from the back. That slender waist. Those ankles that showed in glimpses from her trousers at the most inopportune moments, introducing her stylish heels. Why on earth did she always wear those damned heels?

He knew that Hugh would be quick to show up with Dot, but he hadn't been able to wait for his constable at the station. Standing there, staring at Phryne's form for the longest ten seconds of his life, he needed privacy. If she were not to make it, Jack knew he could not maintain himself before a crowd of others.

Coolly, Jack took off his hat, and made his way over to the legs strewn haphazardly over one another. He took in a preparatory breath looking out to the ocean before finally settling his gaze down on the victim. Yes, it was her. And for once, the invincible Phryne Fisher WAS a victim. But of what exactly, he didn't know. He let out his breath when he saw the slight rise and fall of her chest. She was breathing.

As if on cue, another car sounded from down by the fence, and Jack quickly hit the deck of the bridge to hide along with Phryne in case whomever had caused her injuries was back to finish the job. He draped himself protectively over her and looked back to the bright lights that settled on the dock, wondering if he should risk carrying her out of the direct light.

"... Jack ...?" a groggy voice asked, weakly rasping beneath him. She opened her eyes to the sight of him there, leaned over her with those perfect eyes. "Am I in heaven ...?"

"Heaven?" he asked, wondering just how injured she thought she was.

"Well it can't ... be hell ... if you're here talking to me in that ... wonderful voice of yours ..."

Jack did his part not to let himself enjoy that remark as he was too worried for her well being. She looked so fragile and half-conscious. He looked down at her and then out to the car he couldn't yet identify. It was moving slowly and he suddenly wondered if it was might be his constable.

"... Kiss me, Jack?"

"What ...?" he asked incredulously, helplessly smiling down at Phryne and that attitude she held onto even if the most aggravated of circumstances. "You can't be serious, Phryne."

"I'm afraid ... you're just a figment of my imagination ... I want proof."

As much as Jack wanted to kiss her, he couldn't. Not when someone was happening upon the sight. Not when it might appear she could be unwilling, although he knew very well she'd always wanted that kiss. Nonetheless, he disappointed her with a shake of his head.

"I ... I can't, Phryne. It's not the time."

"It might very well ... be hell, then ..." she groaned, her leg and arms throbbing almost as painfully as her head. 

It took Jack a moment to look down at her, not wanting to give way to his emotions just then, but he steeled himself and looked over her bruised face. The bloody nose had him feeling more protective than he thought he could be of any one person.

"Someone's here. Could your assailant have returned?"

"Not likely ..." Phryne whispered, obviously in pain with each word. "He's at the ... bottom of the ocean ..."

Jack pinned her with a look so incredulous, she almost smiled despite the pain.

"What? You killed them?"

"It's-not-so ... bad ..." she slurred, smiling only with the absence of a wince. "It was ... only the one criminal, really, Jack ..."

"Phryne," he chastised helplessly, taking in the state of her with such concern that he didn't hear Hugh calling to him until he felt the heavy weight running across the dock to meet them.

Hugh and Dot stood aside the sight of Jack Robinson lying on top of a nearly unconscious Phryne Fisher - a curious sight indeed.

"Are you sure you're not crushing her?" Dot asked worriedly, helping Jack up once he realized he was still lying on top of Phryne. He swatted at his overcoat, but couldn't pull his eyes from Phryne. "We ... shouldn't go moving her until she can show us she can move of her own accord. We wouldn't want to harm her any further."

"I can move," Phryne sassed, her voice only half-audible.

Dot rolled her eyes: "Miss Fisher ... please. We're very worried about you. I'm worried."

"I'm sorry, Dot," Phryne winced, pulling with effort to roll onto her side. Instantly exhausted. "I can move ... just wait."

Jack immediately crouched down next to her, extending his hand. "If you can try to stand ... I'll help you to the car."

"Baby steps, Inspector," she teased, her face drained of humor. "Give me your arm."

"You can't expect her to walk all that way?!" Hugh asked, imagining if it were Dottie bloody and bruised. He couldn't stand to see her wobble her way along. Then again, he figured Phryne would probably rather the independence.

"Her leg!" Dorothy quickly gasped, pointing to how the ankle gave out when any pressure was put on it. "Here, Miss. Give me one arm, and the inspector can take the other."

"That won't be necessary," Jack mumbled, helping Phryne lift herself so he could lift her in his arms. He started his way toward the bright headlights of the car as he called over his shoulder: "Collins, get the door."

Jack walked as slowly as he could, because with every new motion came a new mewing sound of pain Phryne tried desperately to cover.

"I don't ... need-"

"If you want me to let you down, you can take it up with Doctor MacMillan once we get to the hospital."

Jack rode in the back of the vehicle with Phryne curled in at his side, and Dot on Phryne's other side for support that seemed completely forgotten. For most of the ride, Phryne was in and out of consciousness on Jack's shoulder, clinging to him and either moaning with the comfort of his smell and touch or groaning with pain from her ordeal.

Dot tried to ignore both.

Jack waited in the car while Hugh notified the hospital of the need for a bed immediately, and Dorothy went to notify Mac of Phryne's condition.

Jack was carrying Phryne in to the hospital with such a defeated look, Mac stopped short at the sight. If she hadn't have known better, she would have feared the worst: that they had finally lost her. But she was still keeping her head tucked in at Jack's shoulder, so Mac relaxed and followed the nurse with Jack to a room.

"You can leave her here," Mac suggested, pursing her lips at her friend's recklessness. Phryne had worried her on more occasions that she would like to admit, and she saw the toll it was taking on Jack, too.

When Phryne hissed with pain, Mac consoled Jack: "She's alright, Inspector. I'll check for broken bones, but she's very lucky that murderer didn't do her more harm." Then she turned to Phryne. "VERY lucky, aren't you, Miss Invincible?"

"He was threatening people in my life, Mac ... he threatened Jane."

Jack and Mac exchanged a look from either side of the hospital bed, and Mac changed her tone. "Alright, well I need to see what kind of condition you're in. Jack, would you mind stepping out?"

"Yes ... of course."

Mac took a long moment just looking at her closest friend, sighing: "Phryne ... you'll give me a heart attack one of these days. Jack as well."

"What did you expect me to do?" Phryne winced, trying to adjust herself along the bed. "Nothing?"

"Stop moving," she instructed, sighing again as she started with the rolled ankle and assessed the pain with gentle pressure. "How much does this hurt?"

"Ah - horribly!" Phryne hissed, trying to hold back any other sounds threatening to escape. "Jack actually carried me because of that ankle ..."

"Charming man you've got there," Mac smirked, knowing what Jack felt for her friend.

"Yes he swept me off my feet and everything," Phryne whispered with exhaustion, looking up at the hospital ceiling with sorrow. "A true gentleman ..."

"I'll say," Mac agreed, shaking her head and seeing to Phryne's other leg. "These trousers have certainly seen better days - what on earth happened to you?"

"I got into a scuffle with that damned murderer, and I tossed him over the side of the bridge."

"Yeah, well he's done a number on you, too."

"I know," Phryne muttered, drifting out of consciousness only to be drawn back by the snap of Mac's fingers.

"No sleeping - you might have a concussion and I need to assess you first," Mac instructed, looking into Phryne's eyes closely. "Are you dizzy? Nauseous?"

"Yes on both ... accounts," Phryne groaned, "And exhausted ... in pain."

"Well you're in pretty rough shape," Mac mumbled, writing notes as she helped to monitor what Phryne might need. "I'll have to give you some pain medication."

It took a very long hour for Phryne to be seen to and bandaged and splinted where need be, until everyone was able to see her again. And it took another hour after that until Jack was ready to check on her. He quietly walked in through the door and watched her sleep. Her chest rose and fell so gently, her face turned away from the door.

Jack gently sat at the side of her bed and brushed his fingertips along her relaxed fist, tracing her knuckles with a smile. He wondered how much Phryne fought the good doctor's orders, just thankful Phryne could fight at all.

Phryne inhaled and woke to the picture of Jack sitting at her side, and she smiled at him for a special, silent minute while they both watched one another closely.

"You know, it wasn't very nice ... to ignore a dying woman's request ..."

"You're not dying," he said, not enjoying what sounded like another tease.

Phryne stared seriously at him: "I felt like I was." She held onto his fingers and closed her eyes to simply enjoy the feel of him so close when Jack surprised her.

He kissed her.

It was a gentle kiss with his hand still in hers, and the other holding his weight so as not to put any pressure on her injuries. It was a kiss he had meant to be quick and reassuring, but one that quickly had him realizing just how much chemistry they had together. Phryne's chin tilted up to meet his lips when he started to draw back, pursuing the kiss. It was a slow, lingering embrace of lips that only ended when remembered Phryne's tender condition.

"Mmm ..." she grinned, eyes still closed. "So it's heaven again, is it? Now that you're doing as I ask for a change."

Jack chuckled in his own silent way, and traced his fingers along her jaw to her ear. "You really scared me. And ... I'd wanted to kiss you before. So many befores ... and it doesn't have to mean anything, but ... I had to do it, at least the once."

"At _least _," she agreed teasingly, squeezing his left hand as best she could. She could see there was a sadness in his eyes. "Oh Jack ... I'm going to be fine ... you know that, don't you?"__

__"It's hard to see you this way."_ _

__"Well it's better than having that man hurt Jane or Dot ... or you."_ _

__"Phryne-"_ _

__"I know you told me to stay away, Jack, but I care for you just as you care for me, and I wasn't about to stay home twiddling my thumbs. Can I be blamed if I was just quicker to find him than you?"_ _

__Jack looked down at her other bandaged hand and sighed._ _

__"Would you have called me, Jack, and waited for me to arrive if you knew where that dangerous man was?"_ _

__With her eyes penetrating into him, he relented. "No, you know I wouldn't have. But Phryne, he was twice your size."_ _

__"And I bested him, Jack ... face it - I can handle things on my own."_ _

__He leaned a little closer and allowed his eyes to wander over her face and up, into her eyes. "I don't like that you're so adamant about being on your own all the time."_ _

__"... Well, sometimes a woman IS on her own."_ _

__"And when she doesn't have to be?"_ _

__Phryne smirked at the implication, squeezing his hand again: "Jack Robinson ... are you seducing me in a hospital bed?"_ _

__"Call it what you like," he smiled back. "I'm letting you know I'll always be there when you need me."_ _

__She tried not to grin as she delivered her next, whispered line: "And what happens when I need you in the middle of the night then?"_ _

__He licked his lips. "Don't ask me that now."_ _

__"When should I ask?"_ _

__"Just you worry about healing those injuries."_ _

__Interestingly, the implications of Jack's words kept her resting through the weeks of her recovery, to everyone's amazement. Phryne Fisher was finally listening to others' worried suggestions, keeping her feet up and her nose out of detective work._ _

__After Phryne was able to make her way around on her own again and wasn't exhausted so easily, Mr. Butler began to wonder just what had her acting so differently. One evening, however, a conversation he accidentally overheard by the door cleared things up quite nicely. He had been cleaning in the kitchen when he heard the door - surprised to see Phryne hurrying to get it._ _

__When it did swing open, there stood Jack who hadn't come by in order to allow her to rest without company. Yet there he was with his hands in his pockets and the brim of his hat shading his face._ _

__"All rested up I see," he remarked, smiling when she took his hat and gestured for him to enter. "Quite a quick recovery. However did you do it, Miss Fisher?"_ _

__"Oh, well, there was this promise ..." she whispered, "A gentleman caller ... said something about unwrapping a certain gift ..."_ _

__"You don't say."_ _

__Mr. Butler stood quite surprised as the couple moved into the parlour for more privacy, blinking at the notion of Jack promising something that would interest Miss Fisher to the point of compliance. He almost laughed at the idea._ _

__Instead of intruding on the moment, Mr. Butler snuck his way out the back door when he heard Phryne and Jack making their way into the kitchen - watching with great surprise as Phryne poured them each a glass of water to see Jack walk up behind her and rest his hands on her hips. Mr. Butler's eyes went wide as he suddenly turned away from the sight. He felt partly protective as a father might feel, and partly glad that Jack had finally come around to her many advances._ _

__Mr. Butler found, however, the need to leave the property entirely when he turned around. When he turned to see Jack's back to the counter while Phryne pulling off his jacket and undoing his vest, the experienced butler decided to take himself out for a film before he had to witness anything more._ _

__Strangely enough, Phryne didn't ache as terrible with a surrendered inspector to kiss and undress ... a mystery indeed._ _


End file.
